


The List: A Barking Dog Winery Ficlet

by pinkdiamonds



Series: The Barking Dog Winery [8]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic, Future Fic, Kid Fic, Love, M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-27
Updated: 2011-08-27
Packaged: 2017-10-23 03:10:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/245645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkdiamonds/pseuds/pinkdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another thing for John's list.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The List: A Barking Dog Winery Ficlet

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place two and a half years after And All These Things.
> 
> Cover art by Astroskylark.

 

 

 

“No! Don’t want milk,” Conner screamed, flinging his sippy cup toward the sink. It exploded open and milk splattered all over the place.

Exasperated after a long day, John felt himself getting angry beyond reason. Conner had been shrieking and screaming ‘No’ all day long, and John had had enough.

Leaning against the sink and counting to ten, he felt an insistent tugging at his shirt. He looked down to see Cassidy holding her sippy cup up for a refill. John smiled at his daughter and refilled her cup.

Rinsing out Conner’s cup and mopping up the spilled milk, he called to his son. “Conner, come here!” John gritted his teeth and prayed for patience.

Stamping his foot at the kitchen doorway, Conner shrieked, “No!” Giggling, he ran away from his angry father.

“Conner McKay-Sheppard, get your little butt over here now!” John shouted.

Rodney strolled into the kitchen. “What’s all the commotion, John?” He’d been playing chess with Sabrina.

John explained that Conner had taken a sudden and stubborn dislike to his milk.

Rodney’s forehead crinkled in thought for a moment. He took the clean sippy cup and refilled it with milk.

“Rodney, I just told you he won’t drink it,” John ground out. He was angry that no one, not even his husband seemed to be listening to him today.

“Yes, yes, I heard you. But, that’s only because he doesn’t want milk. I have here the very best in cow juice,” Rodney smirked, as John rolled his eyes. Rodney was often able to rein in Conner much better than he was. While he wasn’t hoping his husband would fail this time, he was hoping he wouldn’t find it quite so easy.

Conner had stamped and stormed his way into the living room, where Sabrina grabbed his pudgy hands before he could clear the chessboard. Picking him up, she carried him back into the kitchen.

“Hey, little man. Daddy said you don’t want your milk,” Rodney said, patting his lap for Conner to climb on.

Squirming out of Sabrina’s arms, he stood defiantly in front of Rodney, his arms crossed. He was wearing jeans, a red t-shirt and sneakers. His red ball cap was backwards on his head, and he looked so much like John, Rodney felt his heart swell with love.

Conner was John in miniature, down to his raspy voice, and Rodney knew exactly how to deal with John and by extension, Conner. He always thought Kathleen and Patrick must have had lots of days when they wanted to tear their hair out. Underneath his sweet exterior, Conner was obstinate, opinionated, and single minded.

Rodney patted his lap again and Conner relented, climbing on. “So, no milk?” he asked.

Conner buried his face into his father’s broad chest. “It’s nasty,” he whispered loudly.

Rodney nodded in agreement. “Mmm, for some people it is. I bet you’d like cow juice though.”

“Cow juice?” Conner asked intrigued, lifting his head to see if Rodney was teasing.

“Yup. I happened to bring some home yesterday for Daddy, but I think he’d be willing to share,” Rodney suggested. “Usually it’s only for grown ups.”

“I’m a big boy, Papa,” Conner insisted.

“You sure are. Would you like to try the cow juice?” Rodney asked his son.

Nodding his head, Rodney grabbed the sippy cup and put it in Conner’s hands. He tilted the cup up and sucked down the milk, snuggling into Rodney’s lap and sighing in pleasure.

John had watched all this with bemusement, convinced Conner would never fall for Rodney’s trick. Cassidy had climbed onto his lap during the negotiation over cow juice and was sprawled across his lap and chest, utterly sure of her welcome. She was boneless with sleepiness and John knew if he stayed put for a few minutes, she would soon be napping.

All of John’s anger had dissipated the moment Cassidy climbed on his lap. His sweet daughter had the ability to soften him; usually into a big pile of mush, he would admit sheepishly to his loved ones. People thought she was biddable, but she was nearly as stubborn as Conner - - she was just a bit quieter about it. If she didn’t want to do something, she would dig in her heels, but there was no screaming about it. She had both her fathers wrapped around her tiny fingers.

Rodney found his husband’s eyes and smiled. Sabrina was fixing herself a snack, and both their children were quiet and loving for the moment.

John’s eyes filled with love, and he added one more thing to the very long list of reasons why he loved Rodney McKay.


End file.
